Turbine.



E. I. BRADD'OGK.

TURBINE.

APPLIUATION FILED FEB. 24, 1909.

Patented July 6, 1 909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. I. BRADDOGK.

TURBINE.

APPLIUATION FILED 11213.24, 1909.

926,803, Patented July 6, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Fig. z.

Patented July 6, 1909.

5 SHEETS-BHEBT 3- E. I. BRADDOCK.

TURBINB.

APPLIOATION FILED PEB. 24, 1909.

-W, @M3-W E. -I. BRADDOCK.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 24, 1909.

926,803. Patented July 6, 1909.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

Fig 12.

"UNITED sTAirEs PATENT onirica.

EDWARD I. BRADDOOK, OF WINOHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO BRADDOOKMOTIVE POWER COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

TURBINE Specification of Letters Yatent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

Application filed February 24, 1909. Serial Noi 479,704.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that l, EDWARD l. BRADDooK, a citizen of the United States,residing in lNinchester, county of Middlesex, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Turbine-Engines, of whichthe following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a speciication, like characters on the drawings representing likeparts.

This invention relates to a turbine engine or motor of that class inwhich a piston wheel is provided with peripheral blades or vanes, andhas for its object to provide a turbine engine or motor of the classdescribed, which is economical and of increased efficiency and in whichthe expansion as Well as the velocity of the steam or other fluid isutilized. For this purpose, the piston Wheel is provided with an annularbody portion having annular sidev flanges, which form an annular fluidchamber about the circumference of the wheel, which is se arated by aplurality of sets of substantial y radial blades or vanes extendedtransversely of the chamber from fiange to flange and arranged tointerrupt the continuity of the said chamber and form two sets oftransversely extended throats, with the throats formed by one set ofblades in line with the blades of the other set, so as to revent adirect passage ofthe steam or other uid about the wheel and utilize tothe fullest extent the expansion of the steam. In the present instancethe sets of blades or vanes are arranged, so that one -se't of blades orvanes is substantial central with relation to the annular chamber andforms throats at its ends which are in line with the blades of the otherset, Which'are arranged so as to form substantially central throats inline with the blades or vanes of the first mentioned set.

The invention further consists in novel features of construction as willbe described.

These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in theclaims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a lan view of a turbine engine or motor embo ying-thisinvention. Fig. 2, a side elevation of the engine shown in Fig. 1. Fig.3, a partial elevation and section of the engine shown in Fig. 1. Fig.4, a detail in section of one of the piston wheels. Fig. 5, a sectionaldetail on an enlarged scale to be referred to. Fig. 6, an end elevationofthe engine shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 7,.a vertical seci tion on the line 77, Fig. 1. Fig. 8, a detail in elevation to be referred to. Figs. 9 and10, enlarged details in' section to be referred to, and Figs. 11 and 12,details to be referred to.

Referring to the drawings, a represents a casing having a circular boreor opening b Within which are located a plurality of piston Wheels cfast on a shaft d, which is supported in suitable bearings carried byside plates f, secured to the sides of the casing a as by screws orbolts g or otherwise. The casing a. is provided at its bottom with aflange h and at its sides with a plurality of fluid passages for a'-purpose as will be described. The flange h rests upon and is secured toa hollow base t. Each piston wheel c is preferably cast in one piece andcomprises as herein portion 10 provided with annular side flanges whichare located a plurality of sets of substantially radial blades or varies15, 16,. which extend transversely of the chamber 14 from one sideflange to the other so -as to "make a strong and durable piston wheel.The sets of blades or vanes 15, 16, are arranged with relation tooneanother about the piston wheel so as to interrupt the continuityofthe annular chamber 14 and forma j\series of transversely extendedthroats, with the throats formed by the blades of one set in the presentinstance, this result is obtained by making the blades 15 of one set 1ntwo parts located in a substantially radial line the other set betweenthe blades 1.5 in line with the throats or openings 18 and so as to (seeFigs. 4 and 5). In this manner a very eflicient turbine engine isobtained, inasmuch as the steam passing through a central throat oropening 18 impacts against the blade 16,

through which the steam passes and is directed against a preceding blade15, after which the steam expands radially inward and passes through thecentral throat 18 between the blades 15 and impacts against the nextpreceding central blade 16, and so on until the steam or other fluidreaches the exshown (see Figs. 3 and 4) an annular body 1.2, 13, formingan annular chamber 14, inV

line with the blades of the other set, and in leave throats 19 in linewith the blades 15- and separated to form a substantially cenj traltl1roat`18 and arranging the blades 16 of# and then expandssubstantially radially in opposite 'directions into the throats 19,

haustas will be described. The course of the steam is clearly indicatedby the arrows in Fig. 5.

The annular body portion 10 of the piston wheel may be provided with acentral web 21, which is secured to a hub 22 fast on the shaft d.

In the present instance, the casing a is provided at one end with steaminlet passages or nozzles 25, 26, for each piston wheel, and anintermediate exhaust passage 27 common to all the piston wheels, and atits opposite end with like inlet passages or nozzles 28, 29, for eachpiston wheel and an intermediate exhaust passage 30 common to all thepiston wheels. The fluid inlet nozzles 25, 26, incline in oppositedirections to each other (see Fig. 3), and the inlet nozzles 28, 29,incline in opposite directions to each other. The fluid inlet nozzles25, 26, are supplied with steam from a valve chest 31, preferably madeas herein shown and provided with outlet passages 32, 33, communicatingwith the nozzles 25, 26, and an intermediate inlet passage 34, which isdesigned to be connected with the outlet passages 32, 33, andcommunication with which is controlled by piston valves 36 37, having acommon stem 38, which may be actuated in any suitable manner. The pistonvalve 36 controls communication be tween the inlet passage 34 and theoutlet passage 32, and the piston valve 37 controls communicationbetween the inlet passage 34 and the outlet passage 33. As representedin Fig. 3, the valve 37 is open and the nozzle 26 is being supplied withsteam, while the valve 36 is closed and the nozzle 25'is idle, being cutofi from the steam supply passage 34. The nozzles 28, 29 at the oppositeend of the casing communicate in a similar manner with a steam supplypassage 40 in a valve chest 41, which is provided with outlet passages42, 43 communicating with the nozzles 28, 29, and with piston valves 45,46, controlling the supply of steam to said nozzles and having a commonstem 47. The valves 45, 46 in the chest 41 are designed to work oppositeto the valves 36, 37 in the chest 31, so that steam may besimultaneously admitted to the upper nozzle 28 on one side of the engineand to a lower nozzle-26 on the opposite sideof the engine when thepiston wheel and its shaft arey driven in one direction, indicated bythe arrow 50, Figs. 2 and 3, and so that when the valves 45, 36 areshifted or moved longitudinally so as to reverse the engine, the uppernozzle 25 will be connected with the steam supply passage 34 of thevalve chest 31, and the lower nozzle 29 will be connected with the steamsupply pasy sage 40 of the valve chest 41. In the present instance, theengine is provided with three piston wheels mounted on the shaft d (seeFig. 7) and the valve chests 31, 41, are provided with a set of valvesfor each piston wheel. In practice the valvesin the two chests 31 41 mayhave their stems connected by suitable mechanism (not shown) so as to beoperated automatically, or they may be manually operated.

The steam supplied to the piston wheels is permitted to expand andtravel about the same for substantially one hall' of the circumferenceof the same before it meets the ex` haust passages 27, 30, which asabove stated are common to all the piston wheels, as represented in Fig.8.

The exhaust passage 27 communicates at its opposite sides or ends withpassages 52 in the side plates f, which communicate with the op ositeends of an exhaust chamber 53 forme in the lower part of the casing aand communicating with a chamber 55 in the upper part of the base i, thechamber 55 having an outlet 56 for the exhaust. The exhaust passage 30communicates with the passages 57 in the side platesf, and the passages57 communicates with the chamber 53.

The piston valves 36, 37 may be reciprocated in a sleeveor bushing 60fitted in the valve chest 31 and having about its circumference a seriesof ports or holes 61, which communicate with the steam supply passage 34and with holes 62, 63, communicating with the outlet passages 32, 33,respectively. The valve chest 41 is provided with a similar bushing 64.It may be preferred to employT the sleeves or bushings 60, 64, but it isnot desired to limit the invention in this respect.

Each piston wheel may be secured to the shaft d 1n any suitable manner,and in the `resent instance, the web 21 is bolted to the liub 22, whichis made in two parts keyed or otherwise fastened to the shaft d.

The passages 25, 26, 28, 29, in the casing a, may be used as nozzles,and in ractice it may be preferred to so use them w en a fluid of lowpressure is employed, but when the pressure of the fluid issubstantially high, it is preferred to employ a nozzle having arestricted inlet end and a larger or expanding outlet end, and thisresult may be obtained by inserting into the said passages top andbottom plates 70, 71, (see Figs. 8 and 12), which are slid intodove-tailed guideways in the side walls of said passages. By varying thethickness of the plates 7 0, 71, the inlet end of the nozzle can be madenarrower or wider according to the pressure of the fluid to be used, andit will be understood that the dove-tailed guideways extend into thepasis:

sages so as to diverge with relation to the inlet end, and therebyenable the steam or other fluid under high pressure to expand in thenozzle itself before it reaches the piston wheel. The plates 70, 71, maybe provided `with lugs or projections 72 to limit their inward movementinto their passages.

l The shaft d is preferably provided with l ball bearings, which may beof any suitable j construction, and in the present instance one il l)lil-3 construction of ball4 bearing is shown (see Fi s. 7 and 9), whichconsists of a disk or annu ar member 75 fast on the shaft d and providedwith an annular semi-circular groove 76 for the reception of balls 77,which run in a corres onding groove 78 in anv annular ring 79, whic isstationary, and as shown in Fig. 9, the ring 79 is secured in place by acap 80 secured to the side plate j" by the bolts 82. 1t is designed thatthe ball bearings should run` in oil, and for this purpose, an oilchamber 84 is formed on one side ,platef by the cap 80, which forms oneside wall of said chamber, while the other side wall is formed by ametal dia )hragm 85, having a central opening throug which the shaft dextends. A fluid-tight joint around the shaft d is obtained by ametallic packing comprising ar ring 86 attached to or forming part ofthe diaphragm on its inner side and provided with a beveled surface 87,which engages a'correspondingly beveled surface 88 of a collar or rinO89 fast on the shaft d to revolve therewith. The collar or rin(r 89 isrendered liquid-tight on the shaft by allibrous acking 9() forced into achamber in the col ar or ring 89. A liquid-tight joint at the outer'circumference of the diaphragm 85 is obtainable by a washer 92 ofsuitable fibrous material, which is irmly compressed against the side)latef by a ring 93, which engages'the diap iragm and is secured to theplate f by the bolts 94 and nuts 95. It will be understood that thediaphragm 85 has a spring action which serves to take up the wear be'-tween the beveled surface 88 on the revolving ring or collar 89 and thebeveledsurface 87 on the ring 86, and that the revolution of the ring 89wears the two beveled surfaces 88, 87, uniformly and makes a groundjoint.

beyond the side plate and an oil-tight chamber 97 is formed by twodiaphragms 85 and two metallic ground joint members 86, 89, as shown inFig. 10 and which neednot be specifically described, as they are likeIthe diaphragm 85 and ground joint members 86, 89, shown in Fig. 9 andabove described, ex-

cept the ball bearing ring 79 in the chamber 97 is retained in place bya detachable ring 100.

The oil chambers 84, 97, may be supplied with oil through the pi Y es101, 102 carried by the side plates f, an which communicate with thesaid chambers. The metallic packing members or ground joint not onlyserve to keep the oil chambers 84, 97 tight, but also prevent the escapeof motive fluid through thesides of the engine about the revolving shaftd. The rings 86 carried -by the diaphragms are held inclose contact withthe rings 89 on the shaft by the fluid pressure actmg on the diaphragms.

The operation of the turbine engine hereinshown maybe briefly describedas follows Assume that it is desired to drive the shaft d At the otherside of the engine, the shaft d projects in the direction indicated by`the arrow 50 in Figs. 2 and 1n this case, the operator moves the valvesin the valve chests 31, l1J

so that the steam supply passages 34, 40 are connected with the nozzles26, 2 8, and are eut oil from the nozzles 25, 29. 1n this case Vsteampasses into the engine through the nozzles 26, 28 and passing into thepockets or spaces between the blades 15 impacts against t ie saidblades, expands and passes through the centralv throat 18 and impactsagainst the preceding blade 16, expands radially and passes through thethroats 19 and impacts against the blades 15, until it reaches theexhaust passages 27, 30, from which it passes through the passages 52,57 in the side plates f, into the exhaust chambers 53, 55, fromv whichlatter it escapes through the exhaust port 56. 1f it is desired toreverse the engine, the valves are moved to close the outlets 33, 42,and open the outlets 32, 43,whereupon steam passes to the engine throughthe nozzles 25, 29, and the piston wheels and the shaft d are rotated inthe direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow 50.

Claims.

1. In a turbine engine or motor, an inclosing casing provided with acircular opening and with two setsof passages on opposite sides of saidopening and communicating therewith to form on each side of said openingnozzles and ,an exhaust passage intermediate said nozzles, and providedwith fluid inlet passages, valve chests attached to the opposite ends ofsaid casing and each prov1 ed with a fluid outlet communicating with anozzle in the casing valves in said chests controlling the passage offluid from the said inlet passages into said nozzles, a piston wheel inthe circular opening in the casing having'peripheral blades or vanes, ashaft on which said wheel is mounted, side plates for `said casingsupporting said shaft, and passages in said side plates communicating.with

the exhaust passages in the casing, substantially as described.

2. In a turbine engine or motor', an inclosing casing provided with acircular opening and withpassages on opposite sides thereof andcommunicating therewith to form nozzles and exhaust passages, valvechests attached -to the opposite ends of said casing and each providedwith a fluid outlet communicating with a nozzle in the casing, valves insaid valve chests controlling the passage of fluid from the valve chestsinto the said nozzles, a piston wheel within said circular openinghaving peripheral blades or vanes, a shaft on wh1ch said wheel ismounted, side plates secured to said casing to close the circularopening and through one of which said shaft is extended, and an outletfor the exhaust in one of the side plates, substantially as described.l

3. In a turbine engine or motor, an incloszles, a piston wheel in thecircular opening having eripheral blades or vanes, a shaft on which saidpiston wheel is mounted, side plates for said easing supporting saidshaft, and means for connecting the exhaust passages with the exteriorof the easing, substantially as described.

4. ln a turbine engine or motor, a piston wheel having an annular bodyportion provided with side flanges, and two sets of substantially radialblades or vanes extended transversely of said wheel between said flangesin staggered relation to each other, the blades of one set beingextended toward a substantially central circular line about the wheel toform substantially Central transversely extended throats, and the bladesof the other set being arranged in line with said central throats andforming at their ends transversely extended throats in line with theblades of the other set, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD l. BRADDOCK.

Witnesses:

JAS. H. CHURCHILL, J. MURPHY.

